Mormon Martial Arts: The Ed Parker Story

[Andrew Green]

One of the most influential men who ever stepped into a dojo, Ed Parker changed the face of American martial arts. He took an oriental discipline; one too esoteric and esthetic for most Yankee tastes, and added a practicality with a distinctly American flavor. Like Joseph Smith did with religion, Ed Parker Americanized martial arts.

Born and raised in Honolulu, Parker was one of many Hawaiian natives who had been recruited as part of the huge missionary movement begun by the Mormons in the late 1800s. At the age of 16 he met fellow Mormon Frank Chow in a sacramental meeting. It was after this important meeting that Parker began his Kenpo training. Chow had bragged of beating up a local bully, but due to Chows diminutive stature, Parker did not believe him. "I thought this guy was lying to me right in church," he recalled.

Read More: http://www.newwest.net/index.php/city/article/6498/C104/L104

 

[MA-Caver]

The article attempts to be another biography of the GM Ed Parker Sr. Which is fine I guess, but it's misleading in the effect that it leads a uninformed reader that EPAK is a Mormon Martial Art, when in fact EPAK is a Martial Art created by a man who happens to be a Mormon (or correctly called Latter Day Saint aka LDS). Pointing that fact out so prominently in this article is irrelevant.
The man's religion has nothing to do with his ineviatable involvement in the Martial Arts (IMO) and vice versa. That he happened to meet Mr Chow at an LDS gathering (church or other) is well enough to be said but to align direct influence because of what faith Parker was and where he met Chow is (again) misleading.
Saying that it's a "Mormon Martial Art" is incorrect. Because it says (in one way) that all (though some actually are) who study EPAK are LDS and that is simply not true as many of the Kenpoist of MT (and elsewhere) can attest.
No disprespect to or grudging Mr Green's choice of wording for the title of this topic. Just that I felt that the phrasing is incorrectly stated and (unintentionally) misleading.

:asian:

 

[Andrew Green]

I just took the title from the original article

Have to say it did seem odd, never seen much on religion being intertwined with kenpo before, figured you guys would sort it out if it was off

 

[dianhsuhe]

Oops-

 

[Ray]

The man's religion has nothing to do with his ineviatable involvement in the Martial Arts (IMO) and vice versa.

Saying that it's a "Mormon Martial Art" is incorrect.

Just that I felt that the phrasing is incorrectly stated and (unintentionally) misleading.

Thanks for that posting. I can say definately say that as a kenpoist for 21 years and a member of the LDS church for 6 years: there is nothing that I learned in Kenpo that bears any resemblence to what I've learned in the church...In other words - no, "Mormonism" is not intertwined with kenpo and visa vera.

 

[Sigung86]

Thanks for that posting. I can say definately say that as a kenpoist for 21 years and a member of the LDS church for 6 years: there is nothing that I learned in Kenpo that bears any resemblence to what I've learned in the church...In other words - no, "Mormonism" is not intertwined with kenpo and visa vera.

That is because I have been in Kenpo for a very large number of years... And through sereptitious interventions, Kenpo as you know it has a definite Lutheran bent.

If you do not believe me, ask Doc... He was A true atheist until I zapped him with the Lutheran Kenpo technique called, "Getting your inspiration in the Loo"!

That, btw, is an inside Lutheran humor thang!

:boing2::boing2::boing2:

 

[Ceicei]

That is because I have been in Kenpo for a very large number of years... And through sereptitious interventions, Kenpo as you know it has a definite Lutheran bent.

If you do not believe me, ask Doc... He was A true atheist until I zapped him with the Lutheran Kenpo technique called, "Getting your inspiration in the Loo"!

That, btw, is an inside Lutheran humor thang!

:boing2::boing2::boing2:

Now this is funny!

 

[Doc]

I just took the title from the original article

Have to say it did seem odd, never seen much on religion being intertwined with kenpo before, figured you guys would sort it out if it was off

Guess you never read much of the Tracy stuff. They often attempted to make that incorrect connection.

 

[MA-Caver]

Guess you never read much of the Tracy stuff. They often attempted to make that incorrect connection.

So would you say that this is (one of) the reasons that Tracy branched off from Parker to have his own brand of Kenpo?
My own long-term interaction with LDS people (I'm not a mormon) has shown me other (non-members) reaction to them. Some of them will not do anything simply because there are mormons in the group and will go off on their own.
I'm not saying that this is true of Tracy as my own knowledge of the history of Tracy Kenpo is scant at best. This is just speculation and conjecture as to one of the reasons for the break.
My respect for EPAK and Tracy Kenpoist are the same in regards to their respective interpretation of Kenpo in general.
I wish to be better informed here.

:asian:

 

[Doc]

So would you say that this is (one of) the reasons that Tracy branched off from Parker to have his own brand of Kenpo?
My own long-term interaction with LDS people (I'm not a mormon) has shown me other (non-members) reaction to them. Some of them will not do anything simply because there are mormons in the group and will go off on their own.
I'm not saying that this is true of Tracy as my own knowledge of the history of Tracy Kenpo is scant at best. This is just speculation and conjecture as to one of the reasons for the break.
My respect for EPAK and Tracy Kenpoist are the same in regards to their respective interpretation of Kenpo in general.
I wish to be better informed here.

:asian:

The Tracy's left for many reasons. One of them is Parker no longer anchored and supported the yudanshakai, another was just business. None of them were religion related although the Tracy's often hinted about the "Mormon connection" they never suggested it had any effect on what they did or why they left.

 

[Sigung86]

The Tracy's left for many reasons. One of them is Parker no longer anchored and supported the yudanshakai, another was just business. None of them were religion related although the Tracy's often hinted about the "Mormon connection" they never suggested it had any effect on what they did or why they left.

This is all very interesting ... And just to include an afterthought... I do believe that the Tracy Brothers were/are, themselves, Mormons.

All being said, I have to say ... ahem... I see no real reason to have Mormonism/LDS be made into something it is not. SGM Parker was Mormon, the Tracy's are, so I believe, Mormons. I was never directly involved on the EPAK side, but before I became persona non grata in Tracy International, I did have a number of discussions with Al Tracy.

It is my considered opinion, based on some of those discussions, that the real issues were business linked and there was a large amount of insecurity in the Tracy Camp.

The Tracy's, in my opinion, did much to create what became the EPAK empire. They started with the original business system, with Tom Connor, an observation that was part of what got me in trouble. They were, as a "corporate empire" spread all across the United States before the EPAK "empire" really took off.

There were, for many and various reasons, people who crossed the loyalty lines to achieve rank, open schools, between the Tracys and the Parker groups. A couple who come to mind without taking much thought at all were J. T. Will, and Dennis Conatser. Before anyone ascribes nefarious undercurrents here, I do not really know the reasons for J. T., but I believe that Dennis, aka Golden Dragon, got into the EPAK, found it was much more to his liking, and ended up studying with Mr. Parker. And as a total aside, Dennis does a dead on imitation of SGM Parker that will have you laughing incredibly hard.

But... I digress.

The Tracy empire is/was strictly a business. Everything is covered under copyright laws. For example you will find a multitude of EPAK sites that have everything from written to video layouts of the techniques, sets, forms or kata. In Tracy's you will find the name of techniques only, for the most part. If a Tracy web site or an independent website (a well known forum competitor) places Tracy material up in written format, it is immediately contacted and "asked" to take the materials off line, as it is all under the protection of copyright.

If you have the benefit of listening to Tracy business tapes, it is stated therein, that really knowing your Kenpo is only ranked about 4th or so in the hierarchy of knowledge/skills needed to run a successful school. Before anyone really poohs at that observation, consider that for many years, the most extent and successful Kenpo schools were Tracy schools. Al Tracy, regardless of what you may feel or think about him, is one Helluva business man... A business computer in a Kenpo Uniform.

For many, many years, the United States was divided up into areas where Tracy franchises flourished, and if one was in business, you, as a Tracy person, were legally prevented from opening a competitive Tracy School within those predefined areas.

You could not buy the Tracy Instructional tapes and manuals if you lived in an area that was under the auspice of a Tracy franchise.

And so it goes.

The Tracy group never really had anything to worry about, in my estimation, and I never really understood the need to be anti-EPAK. It goes well beyond my understanding. However, I recall, not so many years ago, one of my students visiting an EPAK school in Texas, and taking heat for being a Tracy stylist, so it tended to go both ways. Another point that, apparently, contributed to my being stricken from the family tree of Tracy.

I'm not really bitter, even though it may sound as such. I simply want you to have a feel for the perceived experience from the Tracy side of things.

I hope that in some small way, I have contributed something to the understanding for someone.

Thanks, and y'all be careful!

Dan

 

[Carol]

I just took the title from the original article

Have to say it did seem odd, never seen much on religion being intertwined with kenpo before, figured you guys would sort it out if it was off

Such is the case with blogs. Some are accurate, some aren't.

 

[MA-Caver]

The Tracy's left for many reasons. One of them is Parker no longer anchored and supported the yudanshakai, another was just business. None of them were religion related although the Tracy's often hinted about the "Mormon connection" they never suggested it had any effect on what they did or why they left.

Thanks Doc. Thanks Sigung86.
So the article makes undue emphasis on the faith of the man.
Sigh, as if that's really important in the scheme of MA...

The monks that created Wing Chun Gung-Fu could've been Hindu's ... would anyone made a fuss about that? Doubtful.